Duct heating system



yJuly 30, 1940. R, DAWSON 2,209,324

DUCT HEATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 2, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR` .ROBERT L. DAVISON BY f oRNEY July 30, 1940. R. DAvlsoN DUCT HEATING SYSTEM Filed Aug. 2, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N R5 W Y om E MD .N WL mm T v A O R Y H B Patented July 30, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE DUCT HEATING SYSTEM Robert L. Davison, New York, N. 'Y., signor to John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application Anm: 2,1935, serial No. 34,353

comme. (cl. zar-ss) This inventionrelates to heating systems and Patent 2,028,088; issued January 14, 1936, to more particularly to heating systems of the duct Robert L. Davison and Edgar V. Ludwig. type wherein ducts i. e. conduits are utilized to In the accompanying drawings illustrating a convey heated air from a central thermal unit preferred embodiment of the present invention,

to locations remote from such thermal unit. Fig. 1 represents a horizontal section taken 5 Embodiments of the present invention comthrough one story of a house in which my heating prise a heating unit preferably readily convertsystem is installed, the floor plan of same being ible from open hearth type to furnace type and illustrated. vice versa at the option of the user, the heating Fig. 2 represents a vertical section taken on l0 unit per se being disposed within a suitable enline 22, Fig. l. 10

closure for operating efliciently as a component Fig. 3 represents a vertical section taken on unit of the duct system in supplying heated air line 3 3, Fig. 1. therefor whether such heating unit is in its Fig. 4 represents a vertical section taken on open hearth or furnace status. Advantageously, line 4 4, F18. 3.

heated air is discharged from contact with the Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a 15 heating unit directly into a chamber, preferably building structure having the usual enclosing for mixing with additional air at a reduced temwalls II, windows I2 and door II, the area within perature and for distribution through `a plurality the walls, windows and door being sub-divided of variantly directed ducts i. e. conduits, return into a plurality of rooms and enclosures by the of such air to the heating unit in its spent, partitions Il. One of such enclosures is desig- 20 cooled condition for continued circulation through nated by the reference numeral I5 and constithe system being accomplished positively, but tutes a chamber of the nature of a stack which without the use of'confining ducts or conduits. is here utilized in connection with and as a part The present system is particularly well adapted of my improved heating system.

to the heating of so called pre-fabricated houses A heating unit is adapted to be placed behind 2 constructed usually without basement, and one of the partitions I4 or housed between spaced affording` a minimum amount of space for the partitions I4, or may be included in an area deplacing of a heating system and its component fined by three or more of the partitions I4. Beunits. cause, however, of the ornamental character of :i0 Pursuant to such application, the heating unit the open hearth feature ofzmy improved heating 3o per seis positioned within desirably, a heat inunit, I preferably arrange the outlet portion sulated enclosure, the enclosure being disposed thereof, or that portion having access to the proximate a room of the house, and adjacent to fire box in the face of one of the partitions Il and communicating with a chamber functioning and opening into a room, as clearly illustrated in to temper excessively hot air flowing thereto from Figs. 1 and 4. 3;, n

the stated enclosure and to distribute such tem- The heating unit is disposed within an enpered air to a plurality of ducts i. e. conduits closure I6, preferably of heat insulating matecommunicating at one end with the chamber, the rial, advantageously rectangular in form, and ducts individually communicating at their other consisting of four uprightwalls and a cover or ends with respective rooms to be heated. Retop plate I1 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4. 40 turn of the spent, cold air from respective rooms The enclosure I6 communicates with, and in-the of the house to complete circulation through the present case is practically an extension` of the system, is accomplished by affording unconned chamber I5, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The passage of such air to the location of the heating front wall of the enclosure I6, projects, through assembly, a portion of such air preferably passthe partition I 4, and comprehends only the upper 45 ing directly into the distribution chamber portion of the frontal area of the enclosure I6, a through suitably provided openings and the rehollow, perforated ornamental front casing I8 mainder passing indirectly thereinto by way ofl extending around the lateral sides and top 0f the heating unit and surrounding enclosure. the front wall `to define the afore referred to so The heating unit per se is so positioned within Outlet portion of the heating unit. As shown in the enclosure as to be readily convertible from elevation in Fig. 4. and in P19111 i Fig. 1, the open hearth to furnace status and vice versa. casing I8 has a front formed in a series of steps, Preferably the heating unit of the present sysas indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, and such tem embodies the principles of the open-hearth steps are provided with perforatons, as indise hot air heater forming the subject of U. S. cated by the reference numeral I9, and as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 3 and 4. The top surface of the casing I8 constitutes a mantle 20, and below the mantle and within the casing is provided a plurality of perforations as indicated by the numeral 2| in Figs. 3 and 4. The hollow casing I8 communicates with the interior of the enclosure I6 and the arrows, for example, in Fig. 4 indicate the paths of air as it flows through the perforations I9 and 2| and through said enclosure I6.

Formed on the hollow casing I8 are suitable hinges on which are hinged doors 22 as shown in Fig. 3, constituting means by which access to the interior of the heating unit may be obtained.

The heating unit preferably comprises a casing 23 comprehending a re box 24, a grate 25, an ash pit 26, and a smoke chamber 27. A plurality of pipes 28, in the present case four are illustrated, but the number may be varied as desired, lead from the top of casing 23 and communicate with a header 29, from which extends outwardly through the rear wall of the enclosure I6, an exhaust pipe 30. Such exhaust pipe 30,

Yas stated above, extends outwardly from the enclosure I6, thence parallel thereto, passing through one of the partitions Il into the charnber I5 and is connected to a ue pipe 3| leading to a chimney or other vent (not shown.)

The enclosure I 6 may communicate with the chamber I5 adjacent its top by a passage 32. Leading upwardly from the interior of the enclosure I6 may be a duct 33 through which heated air is carried to the upper part of the room in which the heating unit is located.

The chamber I5 is provided with a door 34 by means of which access to the chamber may be had. In said door adjacent the bottom thereof is a grille 35 through which relatively cold air may ilow inwardly and upwardlyras shown by arrows in Fig. 3.

Leading from the top of the chamber I5 is a plurality of ducts 36, such ducts leadingl to the various rooms of the structure I0. The ducts 36 communicate respectively with the various rooms, and preferably at locations adjacent the ceilings thereof as shown in Fig. 3.

Each of the ducts 36 may be provided at its discharge end with a grille 31 provided with pivotally mounted shutter plates 38 by means of which the effective opening of the ducts may be controlled.

The heated air ows from the chamber I5 through the ducts 36, through grilles 31 and into the various rooms as indicated by the arrows in Figs. 1 and 3. By reason of circulation through the system, the course of such heated air will be generally downward in the various rooms and the heat contained therein will be dissipated to a large degree as such air reaches the floor of such rooms. For convenience I provide the doors 39 for the various rooms of a length suiicient to permit an open space between the floor and the bottom of the doors 39, as indicated by the reference numeral 4U, and the cool air passing under such doors will nd its way back to either the grille 35 in the door 34 of the chamber I5, or through the various grilles I9 and 2| in the ornamental iront for the heating unit as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.

Such air entering the enclosure I6 through grills I9 and 2|, passes through the enclosure in intimate contact with the h'eat transferring surfaces of the heating unit, and flows in excessively hot status into chamber I5 through the opening 32.

The chamber I5 has advantageously a greater special extent than has the enclosure I6, for effecting expansion of the excessively hot air to accomplish a drop in air temperature. This may be coupled with introduction of relatively cold air to chamber I5 through grill 35, for mixture with the heated air, to effect tempering of the excessively hot air for distribution to the various rooms.

Admission of the additional air to chamber I5 as above explained provides also adequate volume of air at a suitable temperature for distribution through the various ducts 36.

The re within the re box 24 is stoked in the usual manner by opening the doors 22. The Waste material is removed from the ash pit 26 in the usual manner.

If it is desired to utilize the heating apparatus as an open fireplace, doors 22 are opened to their full extent and the fire built up within the re box 24 in the usual manner .for open replaces. Desirably wood or coal is the fuel used, but the heating unit may be piped for the burning of gas or oil, and such fuel may be controlled by the usual automatic stoking means in use at the present time.

When the heating unit is used as an open replace, the device still functions as a means for heating and circulating the air within the house, as the opening of the doors 22 does not materially reduce the efciency of the heating unit for this purpose.

Whereas this invention has been described with reference to specific forms thereof, it is to be clearly understood that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, as dened in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a heating system for a building, the combination with a heater, a casing for said heater, said casing being arranged to bring air into heat exchange relation with said heater and having means for discharging heated air from said casing, of an enclosed, vertically arranged, heated air mixing and distribution chamber of substantially room height, ducts communicating with said distribution chamber substantially at the high point thereof for conducting air from said chamber to a point of discharge into rooms of said building adjacent the ceilings thereof, cool air inlet means for said chamber at a low point thereof, said air inlet means being common to a plurality of rooms of the building and remote from said heater casing, and air passage means between said heater casing and said distribution chamber, said passage means communicating with said chamber intermediate the said chamber cool air inlet means and said ducts and substantially below the level of said ducts, whereby cool air may be inducted into said chamber by the entry of heated air from said casing to said chamber and commingled with said heated air prior to passage through said ducts for ultimate discharge into said rooms.

2. In a heating system for a building comprising a plurality of rooms at substantially a single floor level, the combination with an encased air heating means on a floor common to said rooms, said casing having means for admitting air into heat exchange relation with said heater at a plurality of levels and means for discharging heated air therefrom, of an enclosed heated air mixing and distribution chamber located substantially centrally of said building and extending substantially from floor line to ceiling line thereof, a plurality of ducts communicating with said chamber near a. high point thereof and extending laterally therefrom to discharge into said rooms near the ceiling thereof. means for recirculating air from said rooms to said chamber. said means including aixinlet means to said chamber at a low point thereof and air passage means aiording tlow of air from said rooms above 10 the iloor thereof into and through said chamber air inlet means, and an upwardly sloping passage affording communication between said heater air discharge means and said chamber and arranged to discharge the greater portion of heated air from said heater into said chamber. the point of entry of said passage to said chamber being above said chamber air inlet means but substantially below the level of said ducts.

ROBERT L. DAVISON.

CERTIFICATE oF CORRECTION. Patent No. '2,2o9432u. July 5o, 191m.

ROBERT I.. mwIsoN.4

4It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification ofthe above numberedpatent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, secsaid Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of August, A. D. 1911.0.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

